So coming down to the Niguma teaching, this cleansing with the AH [The empty AH ཨའི་སྟོང་ར a’i stong ra] is one of the special teachings of the Niguma Yoga. It’s part of the preliminary but is seen as a very important practice.
Like an example in different tradition, you visualize, you know, the Vajrasattva deity, right? Like the bodhisattva figure. In the Niguma tradition, we visualize ཨཱཿ AH, you know. That’s it. The letter ཨཱཿ AH. For in English, letter is “A”, “H”, “AH”, in Tibetan letter ཨཱཿ AH, with the, with some, you know.
And then also the Niguma teachings, we offer teachings as a “The Jewels of Niguma”, you know, “The Jewels”, “The Golden Dharma of Niguma”, you know, that’s the nickname for it.
The reason why it is called “The Golden Dharma of Niguma” does not mean that the Niguma is so desperate for gold, okay? “The Golden Dharma teachings of Niguma”, the origin goes back to, when Khyungpo Naljor met Niguma for the first time. And then at that time, you know, many people when they think about the angel, you know, like the dakini, angel, they think it’s like this, you know? with the beautiful ornament, and very beautiful face and things like that. but not any time like that, not every time.
Like an example, the Niguma, you know, when the first time Khyungpo Naljor met Niguma in the forest [Sosadvipa], because he was indicated to go in that direction. And when he met her, you know, and she said, first thing she said “Oh you are Niguma” and then the Niguma she said “I’m not a Niguma, I’m a cannibalist and I will eat you if you stay here long time and my friends will come and they will also eat you as well, so you’d better run”.
So you can imagine – person who says like that, looks like that. You know, you don’t have a beautiful make up, and you know, and beautiful dress, she said “I’m a cannibalist” you wouldn’t believe that. You know, she says it, because she appears to be like that, you know, in terms of appearance. But Khyungpo Naljor, he was very determined that she is the Niguma, and she, he offered some gold. And then she picked up the gold and then she throw away in the forest. And then she said “if you, my dear child”, she said “If you have a pure mind, everything is pure, if you don’t have a pure mind, nothing is pure”. So that was the beginning of “The Golden Dharma of Niguma”, you understand?
If I’m there in the forest, I’ll catch the gold. [haha]
You didn’t say “I catch the gold” [haha] I said “if I am there”. [haha]
Now you’ve made very sure that they have no devotion to me. [haha]
Anyway, so now you understand the origin of the Niguma, the, the name of the Nigumas, and so on.
So, the reason why I make a joke of myself like that, is because many people, they get sucked into this idea of “Oh, he is my Guru or she is my Guru and he’s gonna solve my problem”. I’m not gonna solve your problem. Buddha cannot solve your problem. Buddha show you the path and example and the method and then you achieve by yourself, and that’s unique about Buddhism, you know? Like an example in other religion we say “Oh, I create the suffering, I’m in this suffering, now can you come from somewhere to solve the problem that you didn’t create, I create, you come here to solve my problem?” Buddhist practitioner we say “I create this problem, I solve this problem, I overcome this problem”. That’s unique part of the Buddhism, that makes a very clear distinction from all the other different faith, you know.
Kyabje Kalu Rinpoche – Niguma Yoga Event in France
Paldenshangpa La Boulaye – August, 19 2023 (DAY 2) morning session
To be continued …
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